Magical thinking: concept and characteristics

Roald Dahl said that “He who does not believe in magic will never find it”. Curiously, human beings have always had a tendency to believe in it, since the beginning of time. Derived from this faith in the inexplicable, we find what has been called magical thinking.

We move in the world applying the “logic of cause and effect”. Thus, when faced with an event or phenomenon that does not have a scientific explanation, it is easy for many other “magical explanations” to arise around it. In fact, perhaps this is one of the main reasons why religions have survived the passage of centuries and the tireless advance of science.

What is magical thinking?

Both psychology and anthropology consider magical thinking as the description of illogical attributions to certain causes without empirical evidence some.

This phenomenon becomes especially relevant when the person considers that your thinking could have consequences in the external world. These consequences may come from one’s own action or from the belief in the intermediation of supernatural forces.

Taking a look around the societies of the world, we find that Magical thinking exists in practically all cultures.. It is a natural process that has a more than likely biological basis. Humans establish causal relationships based on circumstantial associations that are difficult to demonstrate under the magnifying glass of systematicity.

We find examples of magical thinking easily. A boy who believes that if he misbehaves he will be kidnapped by the boogeyman. Also ritual dances that seek to attract rain or assign an atmospheric phenomenon to the action of a superior deity.

Causes of magical thinking

Two main causes help us explain this phenomenon. One concerns the contiguity between events. The second is explained through associative thinking:

Contiguity between events: refers to the generation of certain associations, such as believing that a friend failed an exam because you wanted with all your might for him not to pass.Associative thinking: consists of establishing relationships based on certain similarities. For example, believing that the spirit of an animal will pass to you if you eat its heart.

But, Despite the causes associated with magical thinking, there are also important functions in the phenomenon. That is, it can be very useful in certain very specific situations:

Reduces anxiety: Sometimes, in certain stressful situations with difficult solutions, associating the event with arbitrary elements increases the feeling of control and reduces anxiety. For example, using amulets to fight certain fears.Placebo effect: as we have just seen, it can also be very useful as a placebo effect. That is, thinking that a certain ritual can cure a disease could cause an improvement in the symptoms.

Characteristics of magical thinking

Currently we can find dozens of examples that are clear examples of magical thinking. In fact, It occurs in everyday situations, without needing to reach the point of being considered pathological. This is because, in many cases, magical thinking, far from causing discomfort, produces relief. The problem would appear when this is not the case or when this short-term relief translates into long-term harm.

Egocentrism in children

Between 2 and 7 years (preoperational phase), Children may think that they have the power to change the world with just their minds., both voluntarily and involuntarily. It is difficult for them to understand abstract concepts and it is difficult for them to place any entity other than the self at the center of their gaze. Thus, for example, they may come to think that something has happened to their parents for wanting someone to be punished.

Thus, in certain circumstances, children They may tend to blame themselves for certain events without having participated in any way in what happened. However, this egocentrism usually fades with age.

Superstition

Superstition and supernatural thinking, so present in our society, do not stop revolving around magical thinking. The 13 in our culture or the 4 in the Japanese culture are numbers that in the collective consciousness are associated with bad luck. Thus, it is a number that many athletes do not want to wear or an apartment in which many do not want to live.

Delusions

Also can appear in circumstances of delirium, in contexts of psychosis and schizophrenia. Excessively irrational beliefs are highly marked by magical thinking.

In fact, we could almost observe this magical thinking as a form of defense. Faced with what we are not able to explain, our brain looks for an association that, true or not, serves as a calming against the anxiety that uncertainty could generate.

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